Apparatus for performing minimally invasive cardiac procedures with a robotic arm that has a passive joint and system which can decouple the robotic arm from the input device

• US 6,905,491 B1
• Filed: 12/30/1997
• Issued: 06/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc. (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Incorporated (Intuitive Surgical Holdings, LLC)
• Inventors: Wright, James, Laby, Keith Phillip, Wang, Yulun, Uecker, Darrin R., Wilson, Jeff, Jordan, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Dvorak, Linda C. M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FARAH, AHMED M
• Application Number:
  US09/000,934
• Time in Patent Office: 2,723 Days
• Field of Search: 606/1, 606/19, 606/130, 414/1, 414 4- 6, 901/1, 901/2, 901/9, 901/10, 901/41, 901/48, 395/80, 395/82, 395/83, 395/85, 395/92, 395/95
• US Class Current: 606/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0469 Suturing instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g. endoscopic surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/11 for performing anastomosis; Buttons for anastomosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/29 Forceps for use in minimally invasive surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00199 with a console, e.g. a control panel with a display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00243 cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00252 for by-pass connections, i.e. connections from heart chamber to blood vessel or from blood vessel to blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0046 with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable for prosthetic joint-implanting tools A61F2/4603
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00477 Coupling A61B2017/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00703 correcting for movement of heart, e.g. ECG-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00973 pedal-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1107 for blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1135 End-to-side connections, e.g. T- or Y-connections Y-shaped blood vessel prostheses A61F2002/065
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2927 the angular position of the head being adjustable with respect to the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/2929 with a head rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2059 Mechanical position encoders
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/742 Joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/064 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/35 for telesurgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/37 Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/70 : Manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/71 : Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/72 : Micromanipulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/75 : Manipulators having means for prevention or compensation of hand tremors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/76 : Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/77 : Manipulators with motion or force scaling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 46/10 : specially adapted for instruments, e.g. microscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/00 : Containers, covers, furniture or holders specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments, e.g. sterile covers drapes specially adapted for instruments A61B46/10
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 : Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1689 : Teleoperation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45119 : Telesurgery with local assistent, voice communication

Abstract

A system for performing minimally invasive cardiac procedures. The system includes a pair of surgical instruments that are coupled to a pair of robotic arms. The instruments have end effectors that can be manipulated to hold and suture tissue. The robotic arms are coupled to a pair of master handles by a controller. The handles can be moved by the surgeon to produce a corresponding movement of the end effectors. The movement of the handles is scaled so that the end effectors have a corresponding movement that is different, typically smaller, than the movement performed by the hands of the surgeon. The scale factor is adjustable so that the surgeon can control the resolution of the end effector movement. The movement of the end effector can be controlled by an input button, so that the end effector only moves when the button is depressed by the surgeon. The input button allows the surgeon to adjust the position of the handles without moving the end effector, so that the handles can be moved to a more comfortable position. The robotic arm may contain a passive joint that provides an additional degree of freedom. Additionally, the system may include a disconnect input device that decouples the arm from an input device such as the handles.

Claims

1. A medical robotic system that allows a surgeon to control an endoscope that has a tip, comprising:

a robotic arm that has at least three degrees of freedom and which can move the endoscope within a robotic arm coordinate system;

a monitor that can be coupled to the endoscope and display an image;

an input device that creates an input command in response to an instruction from the surgeon to move the endoscope tip within an image coordinate system and;

a controller that is coupled to said input device and said robotic arm, said controller receives said input command from said input device, transforms the input command in the image coordinate system to a movement of said robotic arm in the robotic arm coordinate system, and provides a output command to move said robotic arm.

2. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said controller transforms the input command in the image coordinate system to an intermediate coordinate system and transforms from the intermediate coordinate system to the robotic coordinate system.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said input device is a foot pedal.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said robotic arm includes a mechanism to spin the endoscope.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said robotic arm has an active joint.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said robotic arm is enclosed by a sterile bag.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said robotic arm has a pair of passive joints.

8. A method to allow a surgeon to control a tip of the endoscope, the endoscope being coupled to a monitor that displays an image, comprising:

coupling the endoscope to a robotic arm;

generating a first input command in response to an instruction from a surgeon to move the endoscope tip within an image coordinate system;

transforming the first input command in the image coordinate system to a movement of the robotic arm in a robotic arm coordinate system; and

generating an output command to move the robotic arm.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising transforming the input command in the image coordinate system to an intermediate coordinate system and transforming from the intermediate coordinate system to the robotic arm coordinate system.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the output command spins the endoscope.

11. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the output command causes the endoscope to pivot about a pivot point.

12. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the output command moves the robotic arm in the robotic arm coordinate system and the endoscope tip in the image coordinate system.